Language/French/Grammar/Adjectives
Bonjour ! French learners, đ«đ·
In this article, you will discover how to use adjectives in French.
As you progress in your French language journey, understanding the proper use of adjectives is essential for effective communication.
After mastering this lesson, you can also explore other related topics, such as direct and indirect object pronouns, French accent marks and pronunciation, and even learn how to talk about prices in French. Bonne chance et amusez-vous bien ! đ
As we know adjectives are those words that add information about the name they accompany.
- le chien est rapide = the dog is fast
- le chien blanc est rapide = the white dog is fast
Sentense construction[edit | edit source]
Construct sentences with adjectives is very simple:
- Ce vélo est rapide = This bike is fast.
- Le ciel est bleu = The sky is blue
Adjectives are placed in front or behind a name:
- un homme pauvre = a poor man
- un pauvre homme = a poor man
Warning: in most cases adjective placement will be imposed by usage. We'll say "une grande ville" (a big city) and not "une ville grande". Same when there is more than one adjective, example: we say "un beau ciel bleu" (a nice blue sky) never say "un beau bleu ciel" ! In some cases where usage allow the adjective to be placed before or after the noun the meaning might be slightly different, in the example above "un homme pauvre" definitely means a man who is not wealthy when "pauvre homme" has a broader meaning and can be used for a man who is unfortunate or unlucky or unhappy: "le pauvre homme! Il a perdu sa femme" (Poor guy! He lost his wife).
Singular[edit | edit source]
- le grand bĂątiment = the large building
- la grande ville = the big city
- un grand appartement = a large apartment
Plural[edit | edit source]
- les grands bĂątiments = the large buildings
- les grandes villes = the big cities
- de grands appartements = large apartments
Note that we can use both "des" or "de" in front of the adjective in case of plural, with a very slightly different meaning
- Mon bĂątiment a de grands appartements = My building has (some) large apartments. Large apartments can be found in my building
- Mon bĂątiment a des grands appartements = My building has large apartments. Most apartments are large
Feminine[edit | edit source]
The feminine of adjectives is formed by adding the ending "e" to the masculine adjective. However, there are some exceptions. Look at The Adjective. Women's training to learn more about this.
Examples[edit | edit source]
Here is a list of the most common adjectives, with their feminine :
Masculin | Feminin | Masculin
antonyme |
FĂ©minin
antonyme |
Traduction |
---|---|---|---|---|
beau - bel
'bel' replaces 'beau' in front of a singular masculine noun starting with a vowel sound or a silent "h". See this lesson |
belle | laid | laide | beautiful / ugly |
bon | bonne | mauvais | mauvaise | good / bad |
long | longue | court | courte | Long / short |
grand | grande | petit | petite | large / small |
lent | lente | rapide | rapide | slow / fast |
ouvert | ouverte | fermé | fermée | open / closed |
jeune | jeune | vieux | vieille |
young / old |
plein | pleine | vide | vide | full / empty |
cher | chĂšre | avantageux | avantageuse | dear/advantageous |
bas | basse | haut | haute | low / high |
facile | facile | difficile | difficile | easy / hard |
vrai | vraie | faux | fausse | true / false |
froid | froide | chaud | chaude | cold / hot |
léger | légÚre | lourd | lourde | light / heavy |
nouveau | nouvelle | ancien | ancienne | new / old |
Videos[edit | edit source]
French adjectives | Beginner French Lessons for Children - YouTube[edit | edit source]
French Adjectives - Grammar - Rules - Feminine Masculine - YouTube[edit | edit source]
20 French Adjectives To Describe Feelings // French grammar ...[edit | edit source]
100 Useful French Adjectives - YouTube[edit | edit source]
French Adjectives Rules - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Ce, and compound forms of ĂȘtre
- Use of en with numerals and quantifiers
- Cardinal Numbers â When to use figures and when to use words
- DĂ©terminants
- Conventions for writing cardinal numbers in figures
- How to recognize when the start of a relative clause is a direct object
- Agreement of past participle if direct object is placed before
- il or ça alternating with clauses or infinitives as subjects
- How to use half, third and quarter in French
- Beau VS Bel